سَلام كَأَنفاس الرَياحين بَثها

سَلام كَأَنفاس الرَياحين بَثها

مَع الصُبح معتل النَسيم المعطر

مَع الصُبح معتل النَسيم المعطر

A greeting like the breaths of fragrant herbs, wafted forth

A greeting like the breeze's breaths it scatters

with dawn by a languid, perfumed breeze;

With the dawn, the sweet-scented gentle breeze

كَحُمرة خَد أَو نَظارة عَسجد

كَحُمرة خَد أَو نَظارة عَسجد

وَنَكهة مسك أَو نَوافج عَنبر

وَنَكهة مسك أَو نَوافج عَنبر

Like the redness of a cheek, or the lustre of gold,

Like the blush of a cheek or musky perfume

and the scent of musk, or scent-pouches of ambergris;

And the savor of musk or wafts of ambergris

كَزَهر رِياض في حِياض تَرَقرَقَت

كَزَهر رِياض في حِياض تَرَقرَقَت

كَنَفحة عَصر مِن نَوافح مجمر

كَنَفحة عَصر مِن نَوافح مجمر

Like garden blossoms in pools that shimmered,

Like a garden's blossoms in a meadow they glistened

like an afternoon breath from a censer's fragrant wafts;

Like an afternoon's breaths from censers glowing

كَعقد لئال أَو كَطوف معلق

كَعقد لئال أَو كَطوف معلق

بِجيد رداح أَقبَلت بتبختر

بِجيد رداح أَقبَلت بتبختر

Like a necklace of pearls, or a suspended circlet,

Like a necklace of pearls or a pendant suspended

on the neck of a full-figured woman who approached with a proud sway.

On a slender neck, she came gliding gracefully

لِحَضرة ملك قَد تَقَلد مَنصِباً

لِحَضرة ملك قَد تَقَلد مَنصِباً

مَنابره تَسمو عَلى كُل منبَر

مَنابره تَسمو عَلى كُل منبَر

To the presence of a king who has assumed an office

For the court of a king who a high office assumed

whose pulpits rise above every pulpit;

His pulpits towering over each other pulpit

لِحَضرة من أَضحى العفاة بِبابه

لِحَضرة من أَضحى العفاة بِبابه

كَأَعشاب بر حادها صَوب ممطر

كَأَعشاب بر حادها صَوب ممطر

To the presence of him at whose door petitioners have become

For the court of one whom the destitute throng his door

like wild grasses watered by a rain-bearing shower;

Like meadow grasses inclining toward a rainy sky

لِحَضرة عز خلد اللَه عزها

لِحَضرة عز خلد اللَه عزها

بِصَفو مَدى الأَيام غَير مكدر

بِصَفو مَدى الأَيام غَير مكدر

To a presence of glory—may God perpetuate its glory

For the court of mighty honor, may God make it eternal

in serenity throughout the days, untroubled;

With the purest days, untainted and unmarred

لِحَضرة نُعمان المنعم جاره

لِحَضرة نُعمان المنعم جاره

فَما منذر يَوم النَدى وَابن مُنذر

فَما منذر يَوم النَدى وَابن مُنذر

To the presence of Nu'man, who favors his neighbor—

For the court of Nu'man the munificent, his neighbor

What, then, are Mundhir and Ibn Mundhir on the day of bounty?

Since Mundhir's days of dew and Ibn Mundhir

فَتى فاقَ كُل السابِقين بِشَأوه

فَتى فاقَ كُل السابِقين بِشَأوه

وَإِن جاءَنا في عَصره المُتَأخر

وَإِن جاءَنا في عَصره المُتَأخر

A youth who outstripped all his predecessors in achievement,

A youth surpassing all predecessors in repute

though he came to us in his later era.

Though he came in our era, the latecomer

وَأَيد تَبيان المَعاني كَماله

وَأَيد تَبيان المَعاني كَماله

بِنور بيان أَو بعقل منور

بِنور بيان أَو بعقل منور

And the elucidation of meanings confirmed his perfection

And the perfection of expressing meanings aids him

with the light of eloquence, or with an enlightened mind;

With eloquent expression or enlightened mind

وَشيد مِنهُ العَزم فَضلاً مؤثلاً

وَشيد مِنهُ العَزم فَضلاً مؤثلاً

بِبَذل عَطاء أَو بإبراء معسر

بِبَذل عَطاء أَو بإبراء معسر

And resolve built in him a firmly founded nobility,

And resolve erected from him outstanding favor

by bestowing gifts or releasing an insolvent debtor from debt.

By generous gifts or relieving the needy